Eastergate CofE Primary School

Eastergate CofE Primary School Inspection report

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125981 Unique Reference Number West Sussex Local Authority 315379 Inspection number 3 December 2008 Inspection date Michael Barron Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 139 School (total) 20 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Sarah Nichol Chair Judith Holland Headteacher 4 July 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Church Lane School address Eastergate Chichester PO20 3UT 01243 542297 Telephone number 01243 544427 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 3 December 2008 Inspection date 315379 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average school set in a rural location. All pupils, except those in Year 6, are taught in mixed age group classes. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities fluctuates from year to year but is presently above the national average while the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is lower than average. The school has gained the Active Mark award, Healthy School status and is presently working towards Eco School status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It has a caring and inclusive ethos and provides a good education for pupils, preparing them well for the next stage of their education. Parents are very proud of their school. 'My children really enjoy this delightful school where they are encouraged to fulfil their abilities', being typical of the many very positive comments in parents' questionnaire returns. It is well led and managed by a dedicated and conscientious headteacher who provides very clear vision and direction for the school and has guided it effectively through a recent period of considerable staffing instability. She works well with staff and governors to ensure the school regularly analyses and evaluates its performance in order to ensure any gaps in learning are quickly identified. This is an important factor in ensuring pupils achieve well and attain above average standards overall in Year 6. It is a clear indication

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Grade: 2

of the school's good capacity to improve in the future. However, standards in writing are not as high as standards in other subjects. This is because children often enter the school's Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) with writing skills below those expected for their age. Even though pupils make good progress in developing many of these skills as they progress through the school, a minority still have difficulty in using punctuation, spelling and grammar correctly. This is most evident in Year 3 to Year 6. Children make satisfactory progress in the EYFS as a result of satisfactory teaching. The quality of teaching is good or better throughout the rest of the school and ensures all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make good overall progress from Year 1 to Year 6. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good and this is reflected in their excellent behaviour. Pupils try hard to do well. They say they really enjoy school and their rates

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Grade: 2

of attendance are well above average. They list mathematics and music amongst their favourite subjects and have a good understanding of the need to keep fit and healthy. They make sensible choices and take on responsibilities very seriously. Their good progress in developing their skills in numeracy, information and communication technology (ICT) and literacy, together with their good understanding of individual and collective responsibility, means they are prepared well for future life. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall and particularly strong in the moral and social aspects. The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced and designed to make learning interesting and enjoyable. Pastoral care and support is recognised as a strength of the school by parents and contributes effectively to pupils' well-being. Academic guidance and support is good. Assessment is used well to enhance learning and teachers' marking is helpful in guiding pupils in how to

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Grade: 2

improve their subject knowledge and understanding. It is less effective in consistently showing pupils how to improve the quality of their writing. Leadership and management are good. The school's leadership team, which includes nearly all members of the teaching staff, provides the headteacher with good support. The governing body fulfils its duties well and offers a good level of challenge and support to the school.

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Grade: 3

Children enter the school with skills broadly in line with those expected for their age, although their social and writing skills are often less well developed. They join a mixed age group class containing EYFS children and younger Year 1 pupils. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008 Teaching is satisfactory and caters suitably for the needs of all, regardless of their ages or abilities. The class teacher leads and manages the EYFS satisfactorily. He has only recently started teaching EYFS children and has developed a sound understanding of the needs of this age group in a relatively short space of time. As a result, children's progress and achievement are satisfactory and standards are average by the time they enter Year 1. Progress in personal, social and emotional development is good and parents appreciate the good level of welfare, care and support their children receive. Children are happy to share and

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Grade: 3

to take turns whilst joining in lesson activities enthusiastically, although a very small number of boys with less well developed social skills sometimes find difficulties staying on task. The well-resourced classroom provides a stimulating, safe and secure learning environment for both year groups with a good range of learning opportunities. However, provision for outdoor learning is limited and does not provide children with as wide a range of opportunities.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in writing, especially in Year 3 to Year 6, by ensuring pupils have clear guidance about how to improve their use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. ■ Improve outdoor provision in the EYFS in order to provide children with a wider range of learning opportunities.

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Grade: 2

Following on from their satisfactory achievement in the EYFS, pupils of all abilities achieve well throughout the rest of the school because good teaching helps them to build effectively on previous learning. They make good progress and standards are above average overall by the end of Year 6. The school's systems for analysing pupils' progress are very comprehensive and are used well to identify those who need extra help or who are performing less well than they should be. This has, for example, ensured pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have received the level of support needed to make the same good progress as other pupils. As a result, pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 are presently on course to meet or exceed the challenging targets set for them in the 2009 national assessments. Standards in writing are not as high as those in mathematics, reading and science, especially in Year 3 to Year 6, because of weaknesses in the

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Grade: 2

use of grammar, punctuation and spelling.

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Grade: 2

Pupils describe their school as a friendly place where adults make them feel wanted. They are very keen to learn and this was reflected in the words of one pupil who said he really enjoyed lessons because he 'liked getting stuck into the objectives'. The quality of pupils' moral and social development is a particular strength of the school. This is reflected in pupils' outstanding politeness and good community spirit. Although not quite as strong, spiritual and cultural development is nevertheless good. Pupils gain a good understanding of diversity within Britain and in the wider world. Pupils of all ages play well together and say they feel very safe and well looked after. They know there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. A very wide variety of visitors to the school and visits to places of interest, including residential trips, build up their knowledge 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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Grade: 2

of the immediate world in which they live. Pupils are keen to explain that the school is at the heart of the local community and how they play a full and active part in village life. They acquire a wide range of relevant skills that equip them well for the future.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. It is at its best in Year 6, where pupils have made rapid progress from below average starting points caused by staffing difficulties in the previous academic year, and is satisfactory in the EYFS, where pupils make satisfactory progress. Pupils make good progress in all other year groups because class teachers work well with their teaching colleagues and effective teaching assistants to ensure all pupils, regardless of their needs or abilities, receive the help they require in order to make similar progress to all others. However, teachers are aware of the continued need to raise attainment in writing, especially pupils' ability to use basic writing skills correctly in Year 3 to Year 6, if standards in writing are to match standards in other subjects. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive and this has ensured pupils have very good attitudes towards learning. Lessons are well organised

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Grade: 2

and teachers deploy a variety of methods, for example using interactive whiteboards effectively, to make learning interesting for pupils, who say they enjoy lessons, especially when they involve practical activities.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum links subjects together well and makes good use of the school's rural location. Pupils say they like this approach to learning and the fact they have opportunities to develop their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills in other subjects. The school provides a diverse programme of enrichment activities, including well-attended after-school clubs, which pupils say they enjoy. The good standard of work on display provides clear evidence of a broad curriculum and that pupils' achievement is not just restricted to test results. Good planning and provision for personal, social and health education ensure pupils are well aware of the importance of keeping fit and healthy. The curriculum effectively promotes pupils' understanding of diversity both within the United Kingdom and the wider world. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good and helps these pupils to make good progress. The range of outdoor

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Grade: 2

learning opportunities in the EYFS is limited, whereas a much wider range is provided indoors.

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Grade: 2

There is a pleasant atmosphere about the school which contributes well to pupils' sense of well-being. The school provides a high level of pastoral care and support for pupils and this is the basis for their good personal development. Parents are very positive in their appreciation of the caring way the school looks after their children and comment about the 'exceptional level of care' the school provides. They are confident there is always someone for their child to approach if he or she has a problem. Very good induction and transfer arrangements help pupils settle quickly into new routines. Child protection procedures meet current government requirements whilst health and safety routines and risk assessments are fully in place. Marking is consistently helpful in guiding pupils in how to improve their subject knowledge and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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Grade: 2

understanding. However, it does not always show pupils how to improve the quality of their writing. The school has developed and implemented very good procedures to assess and track pupils' progress and has started to use these to set individual pupils challenging targets for improvement.

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Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher, staff and governors work effectively together to ensure the school evaluates itself well in order to focus on raising achievement. The headteacher and staff have been thorough in implementing improvements since the last inspection. They have been well supported by the school's effective governing body. Individual governors play an important role in school affairs and bring with them a good level of expertise. Staff and governors have good relationships with parents, who appreciate their views being sought and acted upon. The school is particularly effective in engaging with the local community and pupils have a very strong awareness of their school as an integral part of both church and village life. Resources are good and used well to aid learning. Links with external agencies are good and support pupils' learning well, particularly those with learning difficulties and/or

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Grade: 2

disabilities. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 December 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Eastergate Church of England Primary School, Chichester, PO20 3UT Thank you for welcoming us to your school. Everyone was very friendly and we both soon realised why you really like school. We enjoyed talking to you about what you like the most about school and seeing you all working hard in lessons. Your parents believe that this is a good school and we agree with them. Here are some of the things we particularly like about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers succeed in making lessons interesting and this helps you to make good progress and reach above average standards. ■ You really enjoy everything about your school and your rate of attendance is outstanding.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your personal development is good; your behaviour is excellent and you are very friendly, caring and polite. ■ Your headteacher, teachers and governors lead and manage the school well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We believe your headteacher and teachers can make your school even better. We have asked them to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ raise standards in writing, especially in Year 3 to Year 6, by improving the way you use grammar, punctuation and spelling when writing pieces of work ■ give the youngest of you, those in your first year at school, more learning opportunities in the outdoor play area. You can help your school to get even better by continuing to work hard. Michael Barron Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Eastergate CofE Primary School, 3 December 2008

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